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Cyber Risk Council
Category: Security Awareness & Training

Security Champions

Also known as: SC, Security Champion, Security Champions Program
Simply put

A security champion is an individual, often a developer or engineer, who takes on an interest in security and helps promote good security practices within their own team. They act as a bridge between their team and the central security function, encouraging colleagues to learn and adopt secure behaviors. The role is typically about advocacy and awareness rather than being a dedicated, full-time security specialist.

Formal definition

Security Champions are designated members embedded within development or delivery teams who serve as the primary point of contact for security matters for that team and maintain a working relationship with the central security organization. Their function is typically to amplify security messaging, mentor peers, and drive adoption of secure practices at the team level, rather than to perform hands-on security operations or replace a formal security team. Organizations often formalize this through a Security Champions program, as described in guidance from sources such as OWASP and SAFECode, though the specific responsibilities, level of security expertise required, and degree of authority may vary by organization and program maturity.

Why it matters

Central security teams are almost always outnumbered by the developers, engineers, and delivery staff whose daily decisions shape an organization's actual risk posture. A small security function cannot review every design choice, code change, or configuration in a large delivery organization, which creates a persistent gap between security intent and day-to-day practice. Security Champions help close that gap by embedding an interested advocate within each team who can raise security considerations early, when they are cheaper and easier to address, rather than after the fact.

The role also improves the relationship between engineering and security. When a champion sits inside a delivery team and maintains a working relationship with the central security organization, security guidance is more likely to be understood in the team's context and adopted rather than resisted. As described in guidance from OWASP and SAFECode, a champion typically serves as a single point of contact for security matters within their team, which reduces friction and gives the central function a reliable partner in each group.

It is important to be clear about the limits of this model. A Security Champion is generally about advocacy, mentorship, and awareness, not a substitute for a formal security team or for hands-on security operations. The value of a program depends heavily on organizational maturity, the level of security expertise the champion actually has, the authority they are granted, and the support they receive from leadership. Treating champions as a replacement for dedicated security staff, or expecting them to perform work they are not resourced or trained for, tends to undermine the program.

Who it's relevant to

Security and CISO Leadership
For security leaders, including those in virtual or fractional CISO engagements, a Security Champions program is a way to extend the reach of a small central function without pretending to staff a large one. It can help scale security culture across delivery teams, but leaders should set realistic expectations: champions advocate and mentor, and accountability for security decisions still rests with the organization and its officers, not with individual champions.
Development and Engineering Teams
For developers and engineers, the champion is a peer-level point of contact who can raise security considerations in the team's own context and connect the team to the central security organization. The role is typically part-time and interest-driven rather than a dedicated full-time security specialist position, so its effectiveness depends on the champion having enough support, time, and expertise to be useful.
Program and Delivery Managers
For those responsible for delivery and program governance, Security Champions offer a mechanism to embed secure practices into team workflows. Managers should recognize that outcomes vary by program maturity and by the authority and resourcing given to champions, and that champions are not a substitute for formal security operations or a dedicated security team.

Inside SC

Embedded Advocates
Security Champions are individuals embedded within development, engineering, or business teams who serve as a local point of contact for security awareness and practices. They are typically not dedicated security staff but team members who take on security advocacy alongside their primary role.
Knowledge Bridge
Champions act as a conduit between a central security function or security leadership and their home team, helping translate security requirements, policies, and priorities into the context of their team's daily work and relaying team-level concerns back to security leadership.
Program Structure and Sponsorship
A Security Champions program generally requires defined selection criteria, role expectations, training pathways, and executive or security-leadership sponsorship. The structure often varies by organization and may be coordinated by a CISO, virtual CISO, or security team where one exists.
Cultural Reinforcement
The concept centers on distributing security awareness and ownership across teams to strengthen security culture, rather than concentrating all security knowledge in a single function. Value depends heavily on organizational maturity and sustained support.
Scope Boundaries
Champions typically promote secure practices, encourage adherence to guidance, and surface risks within their teams. They generally do not hold formal accountability for security decisions, nor do they replace dedicated security roles, hands-on operational security tasks, or governance responsibilities that remain with security leadership and organizational officers.

Common questions

Answers to the questions practitioners most commonly ask about SC.

Are security champions the same as members of the security team or a substitute for dedicated security staff?
No. Security champions are typically individuals embedded within development, engineering, or business teams who advocate for security practices within their own group; they are not members of a central security function and do not replace dedicated security staff or a CISO. Their role is usually to raise awareness, provide a first point of contact, and help translate security guidance into their team's context. Treating a champion program as a replacement for professional security leadership or specialized security roles is a common mistake. Accountability for security decisions generally remains with security leadership and organizational officers, not with the champions themselves.
Is a security champion primarily a technical role focused on tools and vulnerabilities?
Not exclusively. While champions often have technical familiarity with their team's work, the role is frequently as much about culture, communication, and governance as it is about technical tasks. Champions typically help promote secure practices, surface risks to security leadership, and encourage adoption of policies rather than performing hands-on operational security work such as monitoring or incident response. The value often depends on the champion's ability to bridge business, engineering, and security perspectives rather than on deep technical specialization alone.
How do you select security champions within an organization?
Selection approaches vary by organization, but champions are often chosen from within existing teams based on interest, credibility with peers, and willingness to take on the responsibility, rather than seniority alone. In many programs, having a volunteer or nominated representative per team helps ensure coverage across the areas that need security advocacy. Effectiveness typically depends on choosing individuals who have enough standing and time within their team to influence practices.
How much time should a security champion be expected to dedicate to the role?
Time commitments vary considerably by organization and are often a part-time addition to the individual's primary responsibilities. Because it is usually a supplementary role, many programs succeed only when leadership explicitly allocates time and sets expectations, rather than assuming champions can absorb the work on top of a full workload. Program value often diminishes when the time commitment is undefined or unsupported by management.
How does a security champions program relate to a vCISO or fractional CISO engagement?
A virtual or fractional CISO may help design, launch, or advise a security champions program as part of building security culture and governance, but the champions themselves remain internal staff. In many engagements the CISO provides direction, training frameworks, and escalation paths, while the champions execute day-to-day advocacy within their teams. The distinction matters: the CISO advises and directs the program, and accountability for the program's outcomes typically stays with the client organization.
How can an organization measure whether a security champions program is effective?
Measurement approaches vary and often combine qualitative and quantitative indicators, such as participation rates, engagement in security activities, and improved communication between teams and security leadership. Effectiveness typically depends on organizational maturity, sustained leadership support, and clearly defined objectives for the program. Because outcomes are influenced by many factors, it is generally advisable to define success criteria at the outset rather than expecting a single metric to capture the program's value.

Common misconceptions

Security Champions are security experts who can replace a CISO, virtual CISO, or dedicated security team.
Champions are typically team members who take on advocacy in addition to their primary role and are not a substitute for security leadership or a security function. Strategy, governance, and risk management responsibilities generally remain with a CISO or virtual CISO, and accountability for security decisions usually stays with the client organization and its officers.
Appointing Security Champions guarantees improved security outcomes or compliance.
The value of a champions program depends on factors such as organizational maturity, defined scope, training, leadership sponsorship, and team cooperation. Champions may support awareness and readiness for frameworks or standards, but their presence alone does not assure certification, compliance, or breach prevention.
Security Champions perform hands-on security operations such as monitoring, tool administration, or incident response.
Champions are generally focused on advocacy, awareness, and bridging communication between their team and security leadership. Operational security tasks are typically out of scope unless an organization explicitly defines and resources those responsibilities.

Best practices

Define clear role expectations, selection criteria, and scope boundaries so champions understand they advocate and advise rather than hold formal accountability for security decisions.
Secure executive or security-leadership sponsorship, and where a virtual CISO or CISO is engaged, align the champions program with the broader security strategy and governance direction.
Provide ongoing training and knowledge pathways appropriate to champions' non-specialist backgrounds, recognizing that their effectiveness depends on sustained support.
Establish regular two-way communication channels so champions can translate security guidance into their team's context and relay team-level risks and concerns back to security leadership.
Set realistic expectations with stakeholders that a champions program supplements, and does not replace, dedicated security roles or operational security capabilities.
Assess organizational maturity and team cooperation before scaling the program, and revisit scope and outcomes periodically rather than assuming automatic improvement in security posture.